OCEAN CITY – As of last Friday, designated smoking areas on the beach are in effect in Ocean City.
On May 1, Ocean City leaders, joined by members from the Worcester County Health Department and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, kicked off the implementation of a new smoking policy on the beach and Boardwalk, which was a top priority on the City Council’s Policy Agenda in 2014.
“While we make great strides here today, it is certainly worth noting many of our neighboring communities across the country have been great examples for us to follow,” Mayor Rick Meehan said. “It wasn’t an easy road to get to as we had many meetings and discussions with residents, property owners, business owners and our partners. We even traveled to other destinations with smoking restrictions and met with their leaders to determine how they enacted and implemented their smoking policies. Ultimately, we made the decision that was right for the people who live, work, visit and love Ocean City.”
In March, the Mayor and City Council passed an ordinance listing smoking and vaping as illegal in public parks including Ocean Bowl Skate Park, Ocean City Tennis Center on 61st St. and Coastal Hwy., the playgrounds at Bayside Park also known as the Downtown Recreation Complex, the tennis courts on 3rd St., Robin Park, Little Salisbury Park, Northside Park, Gorman Park, North Surf Park and Sunset Park.
The ordinance also states, smoking and vaping is illegal on Atlantic Avenue except within 15 feet of designated smoking areas. Designated smoking locations will be located on the beach at each street from the Inlet to the Delaware line with a few exceptions, and marked with proper receptacles for discarding cigarette butts.
Atlantic Avenue is defined as being comprised of the beach, including the ramps, wooden railings, the Boardwalk, concrete tram lane, ramps extending westward and eastward from the Boardwalk, decks extending eastward and westward from the boardwalk, the seawall, tables, benches but excluding the Inlet Parking Lot.
The ordinance also includes smoking and vaping being illegal within a bus shelter or within 15 ft. thereof. The law sets the maximum penalty to a municipal infraction of up to $500 if found smoking or vaping in any unlawful area.
“Our policy accommodates everyone, and we are proud of that. As you walk up and down our Boardwalk and beach, you will notice our friendly messages. You will see the signs, rack cards, business cards being handed out on the Boardwalk by our police officers because this is all about education. You certainly can’t miss the orange bins that are placed along our beach reminding people to keep our air fresh and our beach clean,” the mayor furthered on Friday. “We still need everyone’s help and effort to educate those who aren’t aware of the changes. The first year of this ordinance will heavily focus on education and informing guests of our new expectations … What everybody loves about Ocean City is our beach, and we want to make sure we keep it clean and protect it for future generations while accommodating all of our visitors.”
Worcester County Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene Health Officer Debbie Goeller congratulated the Town of Ocean City.
“By now, most people understand the health risks associated with smoking and second hand smoke. Cancer is the leading cause of death in Worcester County and the second leading cause of death across the state. According to the Surgeon General, there is no level of exposure to second hand smoke that is acceptable, and children are particularly vulnerable. This is an important decision to help promote the health of the citizens of Worcester County and the visitors,” Goeller said. State of Maryland Department of Mental Health and Hygiene Director of the Center for Tobacco Prevention and Control Dawn Berkowitz was pleased to witness the implementation of new smoking law in Ocean City.
“On behalf of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene I want to congratulate you … in making this a reality,” Berkowitz said. “We know this will go a long way in making Ocean City an even more family-friendly destination, increase tourism, and reduce litter. We hope this will also encourage Marylander’s and visitors to Ocean City to become smoke free themselves, and we want to support that and offer resources.”
In April 2014, the Mayor and City Council first broached the smoking ban issue and voted 5-2 to restrict smoking on the beach effective May 1, 2015 and directed staff to prepare an implementation plan. As a result, a Smoking Policy Committee, comprised of town staffers and other community representative, was tasked with developing an implementation plan.
The resulting plan presented in January included a designated smoking area on the beach near each street end from the Inlet to the Delaware line, and an outright ban on the boardwalk is planned with smokers being asked to head to the designated sites on the beach to smoke. The recommendation also included Electronic Smoking Devices (ESDs), also known as vaping, which have proliferated recently.
At that time, the council voted to approve the designated smoking areas on the beach ultimately banning smoking from the Boardwalk as well as include bus shelters.
The council voted to approve the ordinance on first reading on Feb. 19 but excluded the Inlet Parking Lot from Atlantic Avenue’s definition, included the definition of a bus shelter, changed from 20 feet of a designated smoking area to 15 feet, and added Sunset Park to the list of violations.
The designated smoking areas on the beach will include bright orange receptacles with lids that display the town’s new restricted smoking logo. There will be one receptacle per street located on the beach east of the sea wall in the Boardwalk area and 50 feet north of the street end and east of and 50 feet north of the dune entrances in the area north of the Boardwalk.
The receptacles, signage and educational materials associated with implementing the new smoking policy comes with a price tag of around $40,000. The Maryland Cancer Fund has awarded the town a one-time grant of $18,762 for materials, and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has committed the balance of the cost.